Page 26 - CIBEROBN-2015-eng

Transversal Programmes
Training Programme
The CIBEROBN Training Programme is based on the premise that continuous training is a keystone on which research work is sustained. As in previous years, the main focus of the programme was on the younger members of its teams. Its aims were thus to promote the training of researchers (espe- cially emerging and consolidating investigators) in the field of obesity and nutrition, to encourage their mobility and help to consolidate their professional career as independent researchers in this thematic area.
In keeping with the development of the program- me, the main training activities were implemented by financing training stays of CIBEROBN members in other national and international benchmark re- search groups. To this end, the programme has had an open dynamic system of applications since it started. This enables it to award financial aid, after assessment by the scientific management and ma- nager, for carrying out training stays at CIBEROBN groups (other than the ones located in the home town or city of the applying group), at other CIBER groups and groups not attached to the CIBER struc- ture (both national and international). In our accu- mulated experience, these stays are extremely pro- ductive for developing programmes, since young researchers are trained in specific techniques which they later immediately apply to studies of their group in the CIBEROBN.
More specifically, in 2015 a total number of ten appli- cations for training stays of CIBEROBN researchers were applied for, mostly lasting about three months (which is the longest time that a programme can be financed for per group and year). The overall fi- nancing granted in this programme in 2015 came to 23,625 EUR. This means a greater number of appli- cants (a 20% increase) and of funds used (an in- crease of around 40%). Some other positive aspects to be stressed are the high percentage of interna- tionalisation (80% of the stays were at prestigious foreign centres) and a longer average stay, of special interest from the standpoint of gaining knowledge, establishing scientific relations and developing new techniques and cooperation schemes.
Apart from the mobility activities indicated, the programme has integrated other higher level trai- ning activities. One example of these is the annual international level CIBEROBN scientific meeting, which was held in El Escorial from 15th to 16th No- vember this year. As well as members of different CIBEROBN groups, this meeting was attended by national speakers (belonging to the CIBEROBN, other CIBER areas and non-linked entities) and inter- national participants (of a very high level). Likewise, and as a training element of greatest importance, we should point out in this field that in 2015 a to- tal number of 65 Doctoral theses were written (8 of them international), which means the consolidation of a growing tendency in this important training ac- tivity, with a figure comfortably doubling the number of theses defended in 2011.
Looking at this in perspective, the CIBEROBN trai- ning and mobility programme can be considered to have reached consolidation. Its flexibility means it has become a valuable tool not only in researchers’ professional development (especially for younger researchers) but also in reinforcing the international connections and cooperation of the groups belon- ging to our CIBER. In this setting, this programme has made a considerable contribution to boosting interest and synergies of a combination of univer- sities and hospitals at the CIBER, with very good results in training research personnel. Similarly, and even without being stated in terms of financing, the training programme has hosted stays of post-doc- toral researchers at the centres belonging to the consortium of our CIBEROBN, as well as doctorands who have been awarded grants by other countries for writing their doctoral theses at groups in the CIBEROBN.
26 I Annual report 2015 I CIBEROBN